Selections from Viri Romae Part 9

populus creavit. Numae Pompilii nepos Ancus Marcius erat, aequitate[12] et religione[12] avo similis. Tunc Latini, c.u.m quibus Tullo regnante ictum foedus erat, {5} sustulerant[13] animos, et incursionem in agrum Romanum fecerunt. Ancus, priusquam[14] eis bellum indiceret,[14] legatum misit, qui[15] res [[16]]

repeteret, eumque[1] morem posteri acceperunt. Id autem hoc modo fiebat. Legatus, ubi ad fines eorum venit a quibus res {10} repetuntur, capite[2] velato "Audi, Iuppiter," inquit[3] "audite, fines huius[4] populi. Ego sum publicus[5] nuntius populi Romani; verbis[6] meis fides sit." Deinde peragit postulata. Si non deduntur res quas exposcit, hastam in fines hostium emitt.i.t bellumque ita indicit. Legatus, qui ea de re mitt.i.tur, _Fetialis_[7] ritusque belli {15} indicendi _Ius Fetiale_ appellatur.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CARCER MAMERTINUS]

Legato Romano res repetenti superbe responsum[8] est a Latinis; quare bellum hoc[9] modo eis indictum est. Ancus, exercitu conscripto, profectus[10] Latinos fudit et compluribus oppidis deletis cives Romam {20} traduxit[11]. c.u.m[12] autem in tanta hominum mult.i.tudine facinora clandestina fierent, Ancus carcerem[13] in media urbe ad[14] terrorem increscentis audaciae aedificavit.

Idem nova moenia urbi circ.u.mdedit, {25} Ianiculum montem ponte[15] sublicio [[17]]

in Tiberi facto urbi coniunxit, in ore[1] Tiberis Ostiam urbem condidit. Pluribus aliis rebus intra paucos annos confectis; immatura morte praereptus obiit. {29}

[Footnotes: V (pages 15-17)

15.10: What is the force of this abl. abs.?

15.11: #regem populus creavit#: This phrase, as it stands, is somewhat misleading. As a matter of fact, the kings.h.i.+p was neither hereditary nor elective. On the death of a king an _interrex_, or regent, was chosen, who took the auspices, and the augurs inferred from the signs that the G.o.ds favored a certain candidate. He was then elected by the a.s.sembly, and the choice was confirmed by the Senate.

15.12: abl. of specification.

15.13: #sustulerant# (_tollo_) #animos#: 'had plucked up courage.'

15.14: Cf. _priusquam . . . posset_, IV, 25, and note.

15.15: #qui . . . repeteret#: relative clause of purpose. _Res repetere_ = 'to demand the (stolen) things,' is a technical phrase of war, and = 'to demand rest.i.tution or satisfaction.' The opposite is _res reddere_, or _res dedere_, as in l. 13.

16.1: #eum morem . . . acceperunt#: 'that custom posterity (the Romans of later times) adopted.' Traces of the custom appear as late as the reign of Augustus.

16.2: While praying, the Romans covered their faces with a fold of the toga, that no untoward sight might interrupt their devotions.

The _legatus_ here covers his face, because he is praying to Jupiter and to the #fines#, which are personified.

16.3: This word, rather than _dixit_, is used with direct discourse, and regularly stands, as here, _within_ the quotation.

16.4: The _legatus_, of course, said _fines Albanorum_, or _Veientium_, as the case might be.

16.5: 'official,' i.e. duly accredited.

16.6: #verbis . . . sit# = _verbis meis credite_. Cf. II, 48, _cui rei fidem fecit_. #sit# is a hortatory subjunctive; H 559, 1 (484, II): M 713: A 266: G 263: B 274.

16.7: See Vocab., _fetialis_.

16.8: #responsum . . . Latinis# = _Latini responderunt_. The impersonal pa.s.sive is common.

16.9: #hoc#: 'described _above_,' in lines 9-16. In l. 9 _hoc_ = 'described _below_.' _Hic_ more often bears the latter sense, i.e.

it refers to what follows.

16.10: #profectus . . . fudit# (_fundo_): cf. p. 15, n. 9.

16.11: 'transferred, removed.'

16.12: #c.u.m . . . fierent#: a causal clause; cf. p. 13, n. 20.

16.13: See Vocab., _carcer_.

16.14: #ad . . . audaciae# = _ut increscentem audaciam terreret_.

Cf. p. 3, n. 8, and _ad congressum deae_, III, 33. #audaciae# is objective genitive: cf. p. 14, n. 15.

16.15: #ponte sublicio#: abl. abs., with #facto#, expressing means. This bridge, the earliest and most famous of the bridges over the Tiber, derived its name from the circ.u.mstance that it was always made of wood and supported on piles (_sublicae_). It is this bridge that figures so largely in Macaulay's _Lays of Ancient Rome_, Horatius, stanzas xxix. ff.

17.1: #in ore#: 'at the mouth.' The town Ostia got its name from its position _in ore Tiberis_. It was the port of Rome, and thus attained great importance. Great harbors were built there in the days of the Empire, the remains of which, as well as of the warehouses built for the storage of merchandise from abroad, are still visible.]

#VI. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, Romanorum rex quintus# [[stripped text]]

616-578 B.C.

Anco regnante Lucius Tarquinius, Tarquiniis, ex Etruriae urbe, profectus, c.u.m coniuge et fortunis omnibus Romam commigravit. Additur haec fabula: advenienti aquila pilleum sustulit et super carpentum, cui Tarquinius insidebat, c.u.m magno clangore volitans rursus capiti apte reposuit; inde sublimis abiit. Tanaquil coniux, caelestium prodigiorum perita, regnum ei portendi intellexit; itaque, virum complexa, excelsa et alta sperare eum iussit. Has spes cogitationesque sec.u.m portantes urbem ingressi sunt, domicilioque ibi comparato Tarquinius pecunia et industria dignitatem atque etiam Anci regis familiaritatem consecutus est; a quo tutor liberis relictus regnum intercepit et ita administravit, quasi iure adeptus esset.

Tarquinius Priscus Latinos bello domuit; Circ.u.m Maximum aedificavit; de Sabinis triumphavit; murum lapideum urbi circ.u.mdedit. Equitum centurias duplicavit, nomina mutare non potuit, deterritus, ut ferunt, Atti Navii auctoritate. Attus enim, ea tempestate augur inc.l.i.tus, id fieri posse negabat, nisi aves addixissent; iratus rex in experimentum artis eum interrogavit, fierine posset quod ipse mente concep.i.s.set; Attus augurio acto fieri posse respondit. "Atqui hoc" inquit rex "agitabam, num cotem illam secare novacula possem." "Potes ergo" inquit augur, et rex secuisse dicitur. Tarquinius filium tredecim annorum, quod in proelio hostem percussisset, praetexta bullaque donavit; unde haec ingenuorum puerorum insignia esse coeperunt.

Supererant duo Anci filii, qui, aegre ferentes se paterno regno fraudatos esse, regi insidias paraverunt. Ex pastoribus duos ferocissimos deligunt ad patrandum facinus. Ei simulata rixa in vestibulo regiae tumultuantur. Quorum clamor c.u.m penitus in regiam pervenisset, vocati ad regem pergunt. Primo uterque vociferari coepit et certatim alter alteri obstrepere. c.u.m vero iussi essent in vicem dicere, unus ex composito rem orditur; dumque intentus in eum se rex totus avert.i.t, alter elatam securim in eius caput deiecit, et relicto in vulnere telo ambo foras se proripiunt.

#VI. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, Romanorum rex quintus# [[as printed]]

616-578 B.C.

Anco regnante Lucius Tarquinius, Tarquiniis,[2] ex Etruriae urbe, profectus,[3] c.u.m coniuge et fortunis omnibus Romam commigravit.

Additur haec fabula: advenienti[4] aquila pilleum sustulit[5] et super carpentum,[6] cui[7] Tarquinius insidebat, c.u.m magno clangore volitans rursus[8] capiti[9] apte reposuit; inde sublimis[10] abiit. Tanaquil coniux, caelestium[11] prodigiorum perita, regnum[12] ei portendi {6} intellexit; itaque, virum complexa, excelsa[13] et alta[13] sperare [[18]]

eum iussit. Has spes cogitationesque sec.u.m portantes urbem ingressi[1] sunt, domicilioque ibi comparato Tarquinius pecunia et industria dignitatem atque etiam Anci regis familiaritatem {10} consecutus[2] est; a quo tutor liberis relictus[3] regnum intercepit et ita administravit, quasi[4] iure adeptus[5] esset.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AUGUR]

Tarquinius Priscus Latinos bello domuit; Circ.u.m[6] Maximum aedificavit; de[7] Sabinis triumphavit; murum[8] lapideum urbi circ.u.mdedit. Equitum centurias[9] duplicavit, {15} nomina mutare non potuit, deterritus, ut ferunt, Atti Navii auctoritate. Attus enim, ea tempestate[10] augur inc.l.i.tus, id fieri posse negabat, nisi[11] aves addixissent[11]; iratus rex in[12]

experimentum artis eum interrogavit, fierine posset[13] {20} quod ipse mente concep.i.s.set[14]; Attus augurio acto fieri posse respondit. "Atqui hoc"[15] inquit rex "agitabam, num cotem illam secare novacula possem."[13] "Potes[16] ergo" inquit augur, et rex secuisse dicitur. Tarquinius filium tredecim {25} annorum,[17] quod in proelio hostem percussisset,[18] praetexta[19]

[[19]]

bullaque[1] donavit; unde[2] haec[3] ingenuorum puerorum insignia esse coeperunt.

Supererant[4] duo Anci filii, qui, aegre ferentes se paterno[5]

regno fraudatos esse,[6] regi insidias paraverunt. Ex pastoribus {30} duos ferocissimos deligunt ad patrandum facinus. Ei simulata rixa in vestibulo regiae tumultuantur. Quorum[7] clamor c.u.m[8]

penitus in regiam pervenisset, vocati ad regem pergunt. Primo uterque vociferari coepit et certatim[9] alter alteri obstrepere.

c.u.m vero iussi essent in vicem dicere, unus ex[10] composito rem {35} orditur; dumque intentus in eum se rex totus avert.i.t, alter elatam[11] securim in eius caput deiecit, et relicto[12] in vulnere telo ambo foras se proripiunt.

[Footnotes: VI (pages 17-19)

17.2: #Tarquiniis . . . urbe#: 'from Tarquinii, a city of Etruria.' Cf. p. 8, n. 5.

17.3: _proficiscor_.

17.4: Sc. _Romam_: 'while on his way to Rome.' The participle agrees with _ei_ understood, which is a dat. of separation, or disadvantage, with #sustulit#: H 427 (385, 2): M 539: A 229: G 345, R. 1: B 188, 2, _d_.

17.5: _tollo_.

17.6: A two-wheeled carriage, with curtains and an awning.

17.7: #cui#: 'in which.' Why dat.?

17.8: #rursus . . . reposuit#: since _repono_ = 'to put _back_,'

or 'to place _again_,' #rursus# is unnecessary.

17.9: More often _repono_ is followed by _in_ with the abl., or the acc.

17.10: #sublimis abiit#: 'flew high up in the air and departed.'

17.11: #caelestium . . . perita#: 'skilled in (interpreting) portents from heaven.' The Romans regarded the Etruscans as exceptionally skillful in such matters. For the gen., see H 451, 1 (399, I, 2). M 573: A 218, _a_: G 374: B 204, 1.

17.12: #regnum ei portendi intellexit#: 'perceived that the sign indicated that he was to be king.' How literally? According to Livy, the significance of the omen lay in these facts: It came from a favorable quarter of the sky (which, to the Romans, was the east); it concerned his _head_, the _supreme_ part of his being; hence the removal of his cap by the eagle, the bird of Jupiter, 'king of G.o.ds and men,' and its restoration, implied that his _cap_ was to be removed and replaced by a _crown_.

17.13: neuter plural adjectives, used as nouns: 'an exalted destiny.'

18.1: _ingredior_.

18.2: _consequor_.

18.3: _relinquo_.

18.4: H 584 (513, II): M 944, 945: A 312, and N. 1: G 602 and R.: B 307.

18.5: _adipiscor_.

18.6: #Circ.u.m Maximum#: see map, p. xxviii. In its final form it could accommodate nearly 300,000 spectators. The Romans of the Empire were pa.s.sionately devoted to the chariot races of the circus. For a good description of a Roman circus, see Lew Wallace's _Ben Hur_, Book V, Chap. XII.

18.7: #de Sabinis triumphavit#: 'he triumphed over'; lit., 'he got a triumph out of.' See Vocab., _triumphus_.

18.8: #murum . . . circ.u.mdedit#: 'he built a stone wall round the city.' According to Livy, the wall was merely begun by Tarquin and finished by his successor, Servius Tullius.

18.9: Cf. II, 42. Livy says that when Romulus formed the three centuries of hors.e.m.e.n he called one _Ramnes_, after his own name, another _t.i.tienses_, after King Tatius. Tarquin desired to name the new centuries after himself.

18.10: = _tempore_.

18.11: #nisi . . . addixissent#: 'unless the birds gave consent,'

i.e. without taking the _auspicia_ and finding them favorable. Cf.

I, 42. The subjunctive is due to the indirect discourse. For the tense, see p. 6, n. 1.

18.12: #in experimentum artis#: 'to test his art.' Cf. p. 14, n. 4.

18.13: Cf. Cf.] p. 3, n. 2.

18.14: Cf. p. 6, n. 1. The king said '_Potestne fieri quod in mente concepi?_'